Lullaby
by all over the streets
Summary: When Harry's parents are killed, he's left with no real memory of them. There's one thing that's stuck with him since birth: the melody of the lullaby Lily used to sing. It calms him in any situation, and he's been humming it since forever. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Except for a Dr. Pepper addiction.

**Author's Note:** Some of the dialogue is J.K. Rowling's at points, because I was using a part to go through Harry's thought process at the time, not writing a different part of the school year. So yeah. Fair warning. The song is "Never Alone" by Lady Antebellum. (Yes, I realize that they didn't exist in 1980, but let me live in my own little fantasy to make this story work. Thanks.) Enjoy! :)

**Never Alone.**

Lily Potter looked down at the small bundle in her arms at the St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries on July 31, 1980. Contrary to the name, it was not reserved for injuries or sicknesses. There were a few select wings that were used for witches giving birth or wizards picking up prescriptions of medicine. Lily was one such patient: a witch giving birth to her first son. She looked up at her husband, James Potter, through the haze of exhaustion that hung in front of her eyes. The look on James's face was priceless. He was positively glowing, his black hair messier than usual from the nerves that had caused him to constantly rake his fingers through it. But his ocean-blue eyes were brighter and livelier as well and Lily could already tell that he was going to be a great father.

"What would you like to name him?" the nurse asked serenely. Lily looked away from her husband and back down at the baby boy she held in her arms. He was asleep already, completely and blissfully unaware of anything around him.

"Harry," she murmured. "Harry James Potter."

James beamed down on his small family and leaned over to place a kiss on Lily's forehead. He couldn't have been happier. Looking down at the little boy, he could already tell that he would grow up to look just like himself. The shock of black hair on his head and the way he looked exactly like his father, in miniature form, gave it way. Lily smiled.

"He has green eyes, James," she said. James looked at her, surprised. Harry looked so much like James that it was hard to imagine that there could be a difference between the two. But James couldn't really be unhappy that Harry had gotten Lily's green eyes. He loved her eyes; they were so sharp and expressive, they didn't miss anything and one look into them would tell you how she felt. "You should go tell everyone in the waiting room."

James nodded and walked out of the room in a daze. It was finally starting to settle in that he was a father. That he had created a life and that it was now in his hands to raise that life. It was a weird thought. He made his way down the hall to the waiting room where his family, Lily's family, and their friends were waiting anxiously for any news. James pushed open the door and looked around at those closest to him. Immediately, Lily's mother and father were standing. They looked at him, worried that something had gone wrong.

"It's a boy," James finally said. As he said it, a few happy tears slid down his cheeks. Lily's parents looked relieved and sat back down, taking deep breaths. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, two of James's best friends, stood up and gave him a congratulatory hug. James beamed around the room as the tears left tracks down his cheeks. His mom stood and hugged him after Sirius and Remus, and his father shook his hand proudly. "Lily and I have decided to name him Harry James Potter."

"Who's he look more like?" Sirius asked, still standing with James.

"Me," James said, his pride swelling more than he thought possible. "But he's got Lily's eyes. I think she's sleeping right now, but I don't think she'd mind if I did this without her. Sirius, Lily and I were wondering if you'd be Harry's Godfather?"

The two looked at each other, beaming. They were practically brothers. When Sirius had left his own home when he was fourteen, he had come to stay at the Potter's until he could get back on his feet. Sirius had always said that he was going to be the kid's unofficial uncle. But now he had the opportunity to be adopted into the family. He stuck out his hand and smiled at James.

"It'd be a shame if I wasn't," Sirius said. James took his hand and they shook on it. The room broke out in clapping and it was Sirius's turn to be hugged. After he had been hugged by the few people in the room, he turned back to James. "Can I see him?"

"Of course," James said. "Follow me." The two walked back down the hallway to Lily's hospital room. They arrived to find Lily humming a tune they didn't recognize and rocking Harry back and forth. She looked up when she heard them arrive and smiled before she went back to humming. "I already asked him to be the Godfather. I hope you don't mind."

Lily shook her head that she didn't mind and continued to hum to Harry. Sirius walked over to the edge of the bed and looked down at the baby. He looked up at James, shocked at the resemblance between the two. If he hadn't been told that he had green eyes, he might have thought that James had created a clone of himself in infant form. James chuckled at his friend's surprise and joined him next to Lily's bed. She continued to hum as though they weren't there.

"What's that you're humming?" James finally asked. Lily stopped and looked up at him. Harry's eyes opened at the sound of his father's voice and he cackled happily. Lily turned back to her son and smiled before handing him up to his father. She sat back and watched their interaction. James looked awestruck that someone so tiny could wriggle so much from excitement. The blanket barely kept Harry from wriggling right out of James's arms and onto the floor. Lily laughed as James struggled to get the hang of it.

"It's a muggle song," Lily finally said, answering James's question. Harry continued to wriggle in James's arms, laughing. The awed look on the face of his father was quickly erased and replaced by one of pure joy at holding his son for the first time. "I want it to be a song that Harry remembers all the time, even in times when he's having problems." Sirius looked over James's shoulder at the little bundle and they both nodded, though Lily doubted either of them were listening anymore. They never did when they got distracted like this. But Lily figured it was excusable considering the occasion. A few minutes passed by before Lily asked for Harry back. James obliged quickly, and the squirming baby boy immediately relaxed in her arms. He looked up at her and grabbed a lock of her red hair with a hand that had escaped the confines of the blanket. She smiled at her son and continued to hum the song.

_May the angels protect you  
Trouble neglect you  
And heaven accept you  
When it's time to go home  
May you always have plenty  
Your glass never empty  
You know in your belly  
You're never alone_

More than a year later, Lily and James were dressing a fifteen-month-old Harry in his first Halloween costume. He wasn't cooperating, and James was getting frustrated. He was crouched down next to Harry, who was crawling around the nursery on his hands and knees and laughing at his parents' debacle and going on as if nothing was the matter. All James wanted to do was put his Tigger costume on Harry. James didn't even know _what_ Tigger was, but Lily had said that it was some character from a muggle kid show and James had just gone along with it. But Harry seemed to have a different plan. The clothes had gone on just fine, but now that it was time to put on the hat, Harry was being absolutely ornery.

"Lily!" James called, exasperated. He sounded more like he was whining like a five year old who wanted ice cream but couldn't get any. "He won't let me put it on!"

He could practically hear her sigh from the kitchen downstairs. "Just a minute," she called up to him. "Let me finish wrapping this wine."

James sat back on his heels and waited. They were supposed to be at the Halloween party that Sirius was having down the street about twenty minutes ago. James had flooed Sirius and told him that they would be late because Harry was being stubborn and that it was a trait he had inherited from Lily. Sirius had rolled his eyes at his friend but hadn't said anything, only told James to take his time because they'd be there for a while. The floo had cut off and James had gone back to attempting to dress Harry, but hadn't had any success up to this point.

A few minutes later, Lily came into the room, grabbed the hat from James, and picked Harry up from the ground, all in one movement. James envied how easily she had taken to parenthood. As much as he loved being a dad, he wasn't adjusting as well as he would have liked. Lily often told him that he was a great father, and he knew she wouldn't lie to him, but he just felt like he could do better.

Lily immediately started murmuring the song she'd been singing to Harry every day since he was born. He calmed down almost instantly and Lily put the hat on his head easily. She looked over at her husband and grinned. James frowned. He still didn't know the song that she was singing to Harry. She never sang it loud enough to be heard when she was around people. The only time she sang it louder than a whisper was when she was alone with Harry in the nursery.

"You can carry the wine," Lily said tauntingly. "I'll carry this little rascal."

James shrugged. As far as he was concerned, he got the easier job here. Carrying Harry was never something that came to him easily. Harry was never still enough for James to carry without worrying about dropping him. But he was always calm in Lily's arms. Lily always explained that Harry was more comfortable with her because of her motherly instincts, but James always worried that it was because Harry didn't like him as much. James shook the thought away and followed Lily downstairs. He grabbed the wine on his way out the door and the trio walked down the street to Sirius's house.

After they arrived, they spent three hours with their friends, showing off Harry and their own costumes. Lily was dressed as Wilma Flinstone, and she had made James dress as Fred. She spent the first fifteen minutes explaining the premise of the muggle television show to their friends, who pretended to understand but didn't really get it. But eventually Harry started to get antsy and irritable and Lily knew he was ready for bed. She touched James's arm and they quickly took their leave of the party, thanking Sirius for a wonderful night and saying goodbye to the rest of the attendants.

Once back at their house down the street, Lily quickly changed Harry into his pajamas and started their nightly ritual. She stood in the nursery with him on her hip, the door shut, singing his lullaby to him. When he drifted off, she laid him down to sleep and stood over the crib. She continued to sing until she was sure he was asleep.

Suddenly, a shout from downstairs stole her attention from Harry. She went to the nursery door, opening it and leaning out to listen.

"Lily! Get out of here!" she heard James scream. Her eyes widened and she immediately shut the door again, locking it this time. She looked around her for a way out, but the only way was through the window of the nursery and Harry was much too young for side-along Apparation. Harry woke in his crib and stood next to the railing, watching his mother. Her thoughts were cut short when the door exploded forwards into the room. The room was filled with green light immediately and Lily fell next to the dresser in the nursery. Harry sat back on his butt in his crib and watched as the man made his way across the room.

"_Avada Kedavra_," the man murmured, and the room was filled with green light again. But this time, the spell ricocheted back into the face of the cloaked man. Harry started to wail and brought his little hands to his forehead. The cloaked figure screamed in agony and bolted from the room and then out of the house. Harry sat in his bed and continued to cry until he fell asleep. He had no idea that the next morning he would wake up on the front step of the house of the Dursleys, a horrid muggle family.

And it would be eleven years before he would be called The-Boy-Who-Lived and learn what really happened on that fateful Halloween.

_May your tears come from laughing  
You find friends worth having  
With every year passing  
They mean more than gold  
May you win but stay humble  
Smile more than grumble  
And know when you stumble  
You're never alone_

_Twelve Years Later_

Harry had to admit that his second year at Hogwarts had been even more crazy that the first. Sure, his battle with Quirrell/Voldemort had been intense, but that had been _his_ battle. When the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, he had had the added responsibility of saving Ginny Weasley as well. Yet no one would believe him that there was something to worry about, that Voldemort was building himself back up and trying to come back to power. He had talked to Dumbledore, and of course he believed Harry. It was practically impossible to find anyone else aside from Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger who would believe him.

Harry couldn't say that he was looking forward to the coming summer. It would be spent with the Dursleys and their rotund son, Dudley. Dudley was shaping up to be a bigger bully that Draco Malfoy and his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. Come to think of it, Harry wasn't sure he even knew Crabbe or Goyle's first names. He only knew that they delighted in tormenting people just like Dudley did. It kind of made him wish that he would have been able to make them look like bigger idiots when he and Ron had taken the Polyjuice potion Hermione had made earlier that year.

Around him on the platform, families were reuniting happily and the conversations were what Harry had always envisioned himself having with his mum and dad. _How were your classes? How was quidditch? Did you get in any fights? Did you get good grades? How's so-and-so? I always thought they'd be the top Auror of their time, so that's no surprise._ He couldn't help the pang of jealousy deep within himself but shook his head quickly. He walked over to Ron's large family with him, smiling at Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, Harry dear," she said, embracing him immediately. She had practically become his mother in the past two years, and since Harry and Ron had stolen the family's flying car that year Mrs. Weasley felt even more comfortable calling Harry one of her own. "Well? How were classes?" The question was directed at both of them and soothed Harry's jealousy. Ron rolled his eyes at the question.

"They were fine," Harry said happily. He knew that Ron found these questions obnoxious and unnecessary, but he wouldn't realize how much he liked them until his mum didn't ask them someday. A few moments later, Ginny climbed off the train and walked over to her family as well. Mrs. Weasley immediately left the two boys in front of her and rushed over to Ginny. Dumbledore had notified her of what had taken place that year, and she had been worried ever since.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she embraced her. "You vexed me so much! Don't you ever do that again!"

"Mum, it's not like she did it on purpose," Ron said, exasperated. Fred and George stepped off the train and joined them as well.

"I don't care, Ronald. She still could have been killed."

Harry chuckled before he parted from the large family and headed for the wall that led back to the train station in London, humming a tune that he was sure he recognized. He just couldn't place it. He'd always known the tune. The words had always escaped him though. He'd been thinking about asking Dumbledore if he could help him figure it out at all, because it made him think of his mother and he didn't understand why that was. But he'd decided to wait until a more relaxed year at Hogwarts to ask the questions he had on him mind.

Upon his arrival on the muggle platform in London, he glanced around for the Dursleys. Of course they weren't there. Harry had been forced to find his own way home every summer, always attracting the attention of muggles with his owl, Hedwig, and his many trunks and bags. He continued to hum as he flagged down a taxi once he got outside. He figured he'd make his uncle pay for the taxi once he got to number 4, Privet Drive.

Vernon Dursley wouldn't be happy about it. He always secretly hoped that Harry would move in with one of his friends over the summer and write the Dursleys a little note that he would never be returning to Little Winging for as long as he lived; that he was sorry for the inconvenience he had caused them and that he would heartily reimburse them for their time and money that they had wasted on taking care of him. Every summer brought that same expectation, but it had always been disappointed up to this summer. Once Harry arrived at number 4, Privet Drive, Vernon would lock him into his cupboard and turn Harry into a slave. Hedwig wouldn't be allowed to fly at all, and Harry would barely receive post.

It was two extremes for Harry. It was either move out, or become a prisoner. And since he didn't have the audacity to ask Ron if he could live with him for the summer, he returned to Little Winging every year and went through the pain of the Dursleys. Although this summer might be different. Harry was almost positive he had outgrown the cupboard and would have to get a real room. That was one good thing.

The entire ride to the Dursleys' house, Harry hummed and thought of his mother. He'd seen pictures of his family at Hogwarts, and he could almost imagine Lily singing it to him.

_Never alone, never alone  
I'll be in every beat of your heart  
When you face the unknown  
Wherever you fly  
This isn't goodbye  
My love will follow you  
Stay with you  
Baby, you're never alone_

The third year of Harry's classes brought a new light into his life: Sirius Black. Thought to be a mass-murderer, Sirius was also Harry's Godfather and the last family he had. Harry still hummed, but upon hearing the tune one evening when Harry snuck out to see Sirius in the Forbidden Forest, Sirius confirmed his thoughts.

"That's what Lily was humming when your dad brought me in to see you for the first time at the hospital," Sirius said, sounding a little surprised. "I can't believe you actually know the tune. That was thirteen years ago that you heard it last!"

Harry shrugged. "I guess it's always stuck with me. Do you know what song it is? I've never known the name and that's always kind of bothered me."

Sirius shook his head. "All I know is that it's a muggle song. Lily never told me or James what it was called though. And she never actually sang the words around anyone. The only time she ever sang the words was when it was just you and her in the little nursery." Harry frowned. "You know that you probably saved my life that night, Harry?"

Perplexed, Harry looked at Sirius. "You can't be serious?"

"Quite," Sirius said. "Voldemort had gone on a killing spree and had ransacked three or four houses before he got to yours. Half of that neighborhood was destroyed. At the time, I was living down the street from James and Lily. If Voldemort had been able to kill you, he probably would have killed me and all the people I had at my house for a Halloween party. I feel like I owe you some gratitude for that."

"It's not like I did anything," Harry murmured humbly. "I just sat there. The spell backfired for some reason. I just got lucky."

Sirius looked at Harry seriously and shook his head. His dark eyebrows came together over his equally dark eyes. "No, Harry. Something happened that night. Something that no one can explain yet. But it wasn't luck. There was something else at work there."

"What could it have been? All I can think of is his wand backfiring," Harry said. "And there wasn't anything wrong with his wand. He used it to kill my mum right before. It worked perfectly."

Sirius shook his head again, obviously perplexed. "Dumbledore might be able to tell us something about it. But I really don't know, Harry."

Harry looked at the ground. "Sirius..."

"Yes?"

"I have a really bad feeling about what's to come."

"What do you mean?"

"Not necessarily soon. But eventually, Voldemort is going to be back. Everyone knows it. They just won't admit it."

Sirius sighed. "I know, Harry. But there's nothing we can do until the world comes to that realization."

_Well I have to be honest  
As much as I wanted  
I'm not gonna promise  
The cold winds won't blow  
So when hard times have found you  
And your fears surround you  
Wrap my love around you  
You're never alone._

Two years later, Harry watched Sirius die inside the Ministry of Magic as he and Harry dueled with Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy. He watched the last piece of family he had left in the world die. It had been hard enough seeing the ghosts of his parents in the graveyard with Voldemort the previous year before learning they could never come back. But now, he had no family. He was completely alone now, and that just made him angry. Standing next to the veil and watching Sirius become a part of it had been the hardest thing Harry had gone through to date. If Lupin hadn't grabbed him and held him back, he would have followed Sirius through the veil to whatever fate awaited him on the other side of it. A few minutes later, when Harry finally broke free of Lupin's grip and tore after Bellatrix, he was ready to kill her.

_I'll kill her. She took Sirius from me. And she tortured Neville's mum and dad to insanity, then tortured Neville earlier today, too. She deserves to die a slow and painful death. I'll make sure she regrets every moment of her miserable existence._

When he became trapped in the room with the twelve doors, the frustration began to boil over. _I _can't_ let her get away. She needs to know the pain that she's inflicted on so many people. She _needs _to know it._

Harry arrived at the elevator a few seconds after Bellatrix. The wait to get to the main floor of the Ministry was agonizing. The music caught his attention though. It was as if his mum was there with him, singing to him and letting him know she was there. Harry's anger increased three-fold. _She killed Sirius. She's a follower of the man who killed my parents, Cedric, and so many other innocent people. Death is the only thing she deserves. But first she needs to feel the pain she's inflicted. It's only fair._

The main floor of the Ministry was practically empty except for himself and Bellatrix when he finally got there. She noticed him though, and he immediately hid behind a statue. She taunted him, speaking to him in a voice that most people reserved for little babies. _I'm not afraid of this woman. She's insane, and I can do this. I'll knock that bloody baby voice right out of her body. _

The taunting continued and Harry hummed softly to himself as he tried to ignore her. _You foul little bitch. He was your own blood. And you killed him like you didn't even know him._

_"Crucio!_" Harry could hardly believe that he had just used an Unforgivable Curse. He had planned on it, but it had never become concrete until the spell left his lips when he was leaning around to look at Bellatrix. But the spell didn't work like it was meant to. _Why isn't she laying on the ground and screaming in pain? I know that's the correct spell. I just heard her use on Neville a bit ago. Something didn't go right._

"Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy? You need to_ mean_ them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain - to enjoy it - righteous anger won't hurt me for long - I'll show you how it is done, shall I? I'll give you a lesson -"

_Bloody hell, I did mean it. Not enough apparently. Hide. Hide. I have to hide again. I need something between me and this curse she's about to throw out. The centaur!_ Harry dove back behind the centaur and breathed heavily.

"_Crucio!"_ The spell hit the statue but couldn't penetrate to hit Harry and he counted his blessings silently.

"Potter, you cannot win against me! I was and am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant, I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power that you, pathetic little boy, can never hope to complete -"

"_Stupefy!"_

_"Protego!"_ Harry ducked back behind the centaur. His own spell hitting him would be embarrassing, and that wasn't something he wanted to happen. "Potter, I am going to give you one chance! Give me the prophecy - roll it out toward me now - and I may spare your life!"

_They all say that. Every last Death Eater. It's bollucks is what it is. They get what they want and then they kill you. Even if you are their own blood. Even if you do what they want. Even if you don't deserve it._

"Well, you're going to have to kill me, because it's gone!" Blast! My scar is starting to act up more than usual. "And he knows! Your dear old Voldemort knows it's gone! He's not going to be happy with you, is he?" _He'll kill her. He'll do what I came up here to do, but have yet to be successful with. And for once, I couldn't be happier that someone is going to die._

"What? What do you mean?"

_She's _scared!_ She knows what's coming for her now. It's not me. It's _Voldemort._ She's got no time left to live._

"The prophecy smashed when I was trying to get Neville up the steps!" _Which I probably wouldn't have had to do if you hadn't tortured him._ "What do you think Voldemort'll say about that, then?"

"LIAR! YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME - _Accio Prophesy! ACCIO PROPHESY!_"

_Merlin, my scar hurts. It's almost unbearable! I'll just see how much I can push her, though. I'll wave my hand out though; show her that I really don't have it. See how much her deranged brain can handle before she implodes. She's definitely going to kill me now._

"Nothing there! Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that -"

"No! It isn't true, you're lying - MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED - DO NOT PUNISH ME -"

_This woman is truly insane._

"Don't waste your breath! He can't hear you from here!" _Not that it matters to her..._

"Can't I, Potter?" _Oh bollucks._

The lullaby's melody began to play in Harry's head, giving him a little strength as the events slowly played out before him that evening.

_Never alone, never alone  
I'll be in every beat of your heart  
When you face the unknown  
Wherever you fly  
This isn't goodbye  
My love will follow you  
Stay with you  
Baby, you're never alone_

Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts brought more pain upon him. After Dumbledore's murder, the war seemed like an unavoidable next step. Harry and Ron's summer wouldn't be spent at The Burrow, and Hermione's wouldn't be spent with her dentist father and her teacher mother. Instead, they would be moving throughout England and looking for Horcruxes. The final day of classes was bittersweet for them. They had come so far in their education. But all three of them knew that they wouldn't be returning for their seventh year. They would have too much on their hands.

That evening, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat in the common room and stared at the fire. Ginny sat with Harry, her hand in his to reassure him. Even if he didn't want her to worry about him and even if he had broken up with her for the time that they were searching for the Horcruxes, they still cared about each other. And right now, Ginny was good to have with him. She kept him relaxed.

"I'm going to miss this place," Hermione said quietly. She looked up at Ron, who sat in the armchair across from her own. Her brown eyes were filled with tears. Ron looked back at her sadly, glad someone had finally voiced his sentiments. Harry began humming. It was something everyone was used to at this point. They'd had six years to get used to it. But it was the first time Hermione actually listened to the tune. Her eyebrows knit together quickly and she looked at Harry. "What song is that?"

Harry sighed. He'd been asked the same question by so many people that it was second-nature to answer it the same way every time. "I don't know. It's a muggle song that my mum used to sing to me, apparently." Upon seeing the look on Hermione's face, he could tell that she recognized the tune. Maybe she could tell him the song. He continued humming and watched as Hermione mumbled for a few seconds and started to quietly sing the words. Harry was instantly calmer than he had been before, not so nervous about what was to come.

"It's Never Alone," Hermione murmured so quietly no one heard her at first. She looked back up at Harry. "It's called Never Alone. It's by Lady Antebellum. They're an American country band. I can't believe that your mum knew any of their songs!"

Harry looked at Hermione, his heart swelling. He didn't know why he hadn't just asked Hermione in the first place. She had grown up in muggle society, so it was weird that he should have forgotten that she might know some of the music that muggles listened to. "Thanks, 'Mione," Harry said quietly, smiling at her. It was odd to think that the world was falling apart around them now that he knew what his mum had been singing to him. Everything felt sort of calm now. Calmer than it ever had been.

"You're welcome," Hermione said, a little confused.

Harry had a feeling that things were going to turn out to be all right.

_May the angels protect you  
Trouble neglect you  
And heaven accept you  
When it's time to go home  
And when hard times have found  
And your fears surround you  
Wrap my love around you  
You're never alone_

The next year went by quickly in a flurry of activity. Voldemort was defeated, a memorial was built for all those who had died in the war effort, and Harry went back to his normal life. He and Ginny got back together, and Ron finally admitted that he liked Hermione as a lot more than a friend. All seemed to be right in the world. The three of them took a summer course to finish their education, then took their separate jobs. Hermione became a researcher for the Ministry of Magic, Ron became an Auror, and Harry soon became the Minister of Magic himself based on the promise that nothing would be suppressed. If there was a problem, the wizard world would know as soon as the Ministry could tell them.

Six years later, Harry and Ginny got married. A year after that, Hermione and Ron's nuptials took place and Harry and Ginny Potter welcomed their first son, James Sirius Potter. One more year after that, the Potters had another son named Albus Severus Potter and Hermione and Ron Weasley welcome their first, Rose Weasley. The next two years were spent adjusting to life as parents before each family welcomed their last additions: Lily Luna Potter and Hugo Weasley.

At the same time as Rose and Albus were born, Draco and Astoria Malfoy became the proud parents of Scorpius Malfoy, as announced in _The_ _Post_. Because Scorpius and Rose were the same age, there was a lot of speculation on the rivalry that would surely exist upon each child's arrival at Hogwarts, whether it was in the classroom or on the quidditch pitch. Harry still thought Draco didn't deserve to even have a life after the war, but the Malfoys had left Voldemort's side at just the right moment and exited the war. The Ministry saw Draco as clear of any wrong-doings and hadn't sent him or his family to Azkaban. Harry disagreed, but he wouldn't hold it against the man as long as there was no prejudice from him anymore.

Harry had always wanted his children to know the same lullaby that had stuck with him throughout his life ever since he learned the words to it from Hermione. He and Ginny had argued about which of them should be the one to sing it to each of their children, and it was finally settled that Harry should because, as Ginny saw it, it was _his_ lullaby. Each night, Harry went to each of his children and murmured the lullaby to them quietly until they fell asleep to, hopefully, peaceful dreams. Harry had heard James humming the tune a few times as he grew up, and Albus and Lily eventually began to do the same. He was quite proud of this fact and continued to hum the lullaby himself. Ginny even asked him to sing it to her every now and then.

Harry had no complaints about how things had gone in his life. He wished that Sirius had been there to see his Godson's children and wife, and he wished that his parents were alive as well. But he had learned that everything happens for a reason, and without his parents' deaths, Voldemort would have gained even more power than anyone could have imagined. As far as Harry was concerned, everything had worked out exactly as it was supposed to. And he couldn't have been happier about that small fact.

_Never alone, never alone  
I'll be in every beat of your heart  
When you face the unknown  
Wherever you fly  
This isn't goodbye  
My love will follow you  
Stay with you  
Baby, you're never alone  
My love will follow you  
Stay with you  
Baby, you're never alone_


End file.
